IRELAND: Voter Turnout Is Promising

Turnout in the world’s first referendum on same sex marriage and on the age of candidates for the presidency is reported to be brisk. Some urban areas estimated that 20 per cent of the electorate have cast their vote but voting is slower in many rural areas. Ireland is the first country to vote on marriage equality and in Dublin some turnout was seen as quite high for lunchtime. Returning officers expect voting to increase significantly by tea-time with most people in employment expected to vote between 7pm and 10pm when polling finishes. In a number of polling stations in Galway city queues were reported before polling opened at 7am. In city areas of Cork polling hit 12 per cent by 1pm. Across the country in Mayo voting was estimated at 17 per cent in Westport by lunchtime and about 10 per cent or 11 per cent in Castlebar.

RELATED: Bookmakers Paddy Power are putting the odds at 10/1 in favor of the Yes vote.